Temporal Pearls

His view of his circulatory system was almost overwhelmed as the veins, arteries and capillaries swelled until his heart calmed down.

[Pure Stone Heart]

Seth's heart is fleshy but now it has a strange effect that makes it as hard as a stone. Because there was an invisible stone encasing the heart and it beat with the heartbeat. As they worked the same.

The sound of the heartbeat has changed from Dub Luv to Guru Gam. The invisible stone heart was different from the flesh one. It was like hollow stones encasing the flesh heart, one up and one down.

Whenever the flesh heart thumped, the two halves of the Pure Stone heart clasped together fully encasing the flesh heart and then rotated in opposite directions.

Guru was the sound of the heart halves rotating in opposite directions as they grind against each other then the Gam was when the heart pulled back and clasped again.

For unknown reasons, Seth felt and undertook how his new heart worked. And also get a glimpse of what it could do. Which was the purification of blood in his body. That was to say, if any kind of foreign substance entered his body then the heart would try to eliminate it or help it assimilate better if it was good for the body.

With the heart beating, Seth felt uncomfortable due to the sound but he ignored it and just slept to wait for Aura's training. sleep stole his mind and woke up hours later.

The remnant red veins that have not stabilized all came down. Not only that, he felt something deep in him, like a valve, when he touched it, he felt he was activating his aura.

He felt like if he can control that valve then he can control his aura's sudden output and even have an extended duration of using it. Seth smiled at that.

He then condensed the aura and tried to send it to his back but he instantly knew it would not work. As if First Might was close now and will not take any aura.

"Hmm. It has First Might Energy now. So, having an aura isn't ideal. But it was enough that I can fuel it using aura and I can influence what to aid."

Deep down Seth understands that he was only able to give First Might a wish because it was his aura that fueled it. He believed his original first might won't even respond to him. Well, he had tried that once but it was just silent.

After that, Seth focused on more study on his new loud heart that garnered the interest of his wife Retina Iriko Hydargone. She had bravery asked him many times how come his heart sounded like stones hitting each other. But he said it was his body trying to kill itself, due to burden.

Somehow she became numb to his answers but it still pained her. But on this topic, she even invited some elders to check but they confirmed that his body was pure flesh there was no stone. But speculated that it might be his ability or something. Retina calmed a bit knowing that she won't be a widow any time soon.

After three days, Seth checked the aura menu.

[Aura Skills]

~Aura Sight (C+)

~Aura Manipulation (D+)

____

He had tried almost everything, he now understood things he could do and things he couldn't. But then a bold idea came to him and wonder if he could improve his skill using First Might.

"First Might improve Aura Manipulation." Seth didn't just announce it but he concentrated and conveyed his wish. At first, nothing happened but then.

[First Might Activated]

Seth didn't fail to feel what he did was wrong. And at the same, he felt the whole First Might energy was drained.

[Aura Manipulation Improvement]

What Seth failed to undertake was, what was Aura Manipulation and why he needed to train it slowly and gradually. At the same time if not his Aura Blood synchronisation was low his aura manipulation will not be this fast.

Aura Blood Flower tattoo was the reason that connected and aligned the perception of aura activation. The Thought, Emotions, Body, and Spirit. With that, Seth activated it fast. Blood circulation improved the body's condition which made it capable of making more aura that can be active.

Now he just adds First Might to forcefully improve something that should be trained and attuned with the body.

For that reason, Seth's bones squeezed like rubber, and his muscles stretched and squeezed too. His skin followed suit too. But the pain that came with it wasn't what bothered him too much. Rather… it was his brain that churned up and down.

Seth has never groaned deeply or screamed but this time his eyes twisted up and down, and his mouth blurted a hissing cry of agony.

"Mom… Anna...!" He called names in that situation and for the first time, he lost his sense of self and felt that he could do anything to save himself.

The pain was stranger, a weird sensation instead of an outright excruciating sensation but rather a spirit-wrenching agony that disconnected one from reality.

"Retina…." Seth called at last. As deep subconsciously he began to acknowledge her actions toward him were kind. He called for her. Some moment before all reason went off his tongue wasn't even making coherent words.

At that moment, Retina entered and panicked as she appeared beside him. She can see that his body has twisted in different proportions as if he was possessed by an evil spirit.

Before she called anyone, Seth's body began to return to normal. His expression eased a lot.

Seth opened his eyes and he came face to face with a rosy innocent face smiling at him. "How are you," she asked.

Seth was confused at first, so he called the aura menu.

[Aura Skill]

~Aura Sight (C+)

~Aura Manipulation (B+)

~Aura Control (B+)

_____

"Wow, that was amazing. I get control. Wait, what is the difference between manipulation and control?" Seth just stared at them as he wondered. He checked the description.

[Aura Skill]

~Aura Sight (C+)

[Special Eyes that have the ability to see Aura of all kinds if trained properly. Mastery (C+). Duration: 15 minutes. Cool down: 10 seconds]

~Aura Manipulation (B+)

[Aura Manipulation is the ability to direct and influence the effect and movement of your aura in your body and outside of your body. Mastery: (B+). Duration: 2 minutes. Cool down: 1hr]

Aura Control (B+)

[Aura Control is the ability to direct and control the effect and movement of your Aura and Foreign Aura. Mastery: (B+). Duration. 10 minutes. Cool Down: 1 minute]

_____

Seth was dumbfounded by the difference in duration and cool-down between control and manipulation. But it is understandable. Control is just an increase in mastery than manipulation regarding his own Aura. But, control affects the aura that isn't his.

So, it is safe to assume that Aura Control was just more versatile than Aura Manipulation and First Might just threw him to hell and made him acquire it.

However, what confused him was, why was the quest not completed, shouldn't he have obtained Aura Touch?

He read the quest again and found some changes.

[Quest]

[As someone who could see Aura you have interacted and been infected with many foreign Auras that slowed your advancement. With Blood Aura, you can cleanse your body and train your Aura.]

~Consciously master Aura Manipulation (B+) and Aura Control (B+)

[Reward]

~Aura Touch

_____

He just made his life much more complicated. He then lamented that he should have trained normally instead of forcing his way. On the other hand, Seth found his connection with the staff was so strong, that he felt he could feel the vine that was holding it.

Seth raised his hand and concentrated a bit and the staff glowed pale for a moment. It might not be close now but he was able to notice a sheen as a thin layer above the surface of the staff.

Not only that, he can now feel the vine's grip on the staff and he can deduce how much power he needed to break it away.

That was all control. Seth now has high control over his Aura even at this distance.

Then he calmed down and brooded about the quest. He already had (B+) on the control which means the quest will be easier for him, right? So what was the effect of the quest?

'It wanted me to know the limit of what I could do!'

It was like Seth woke up able to ride a car, it came intuitively. But he didn't know how fast the car could go, the fuel required, the engine oil and all. So, only if he goes through all those and discerns them will Seth be an actually good driver.

This was the same as Aura Control and Manipulation.